Even though at 17 it was limited, I had a life before Batman.

I always felt that heroes were essentially dull. Villains were more exotic and could do more interesting things.

When comics came along in the 1930s there was a talent pool waiting. And one reason is so many areas were closed to Jews. Colleges, advertising agencies, many of the corporations - the doors that were closed led to the one that was open.

Looking at the Batman pages is like revisiting my youth. My first seven years in New York were the first seven years of Batman itself. While my time on Batman was important and exciting and notable considering the characters that came out of it, it was really just the start of my life.

Even though at 17 it was limited, I had a life before Batman.

So, Im thinking of a name for a villain that has a sense of humor. I thought of The Joker as a name, and as soon as I thought that, I associate it with the playing card, as my family had a tradition of champion playing; my brother was a contract champion bridge player. There were always cards around the house.